The producers of the movie “Rust” are responsible for security failures on the set where Alec Baldwin killed the cinematographer, a report from New Mexico authorities said on Wednesday. On October 21, at a ranch in Santa Fe, the actor and producer handled a revolver while working a scene with Halyna Hutchins. The weapon he thought harmless had gone off, mortally wounding the filmmaker. The police have not yet launched any criminal charges, but do not rule out doing so, including against Alec Baldwin.
The Department of the Environment in the state of New Mexico, in the southwestern United States, conducted its own investigation into a civil case relating to the health and safety rules of the filming. The producers of the film “Rust” have “shown a manifest disregard for the risks associated with firearms by systematically failing to enforce their own safety protocols”, underlines its report. They did not do enough “to ensure that the management of lethal weapons was given the time and attention necessary to ensure the safety of the teams”, adds the text.
Criminal investigation still ongoing
The State of New Mexico thus imposed on the producers a civil fine of 136,793 dollars and a ticket involving willful misconduct. This is the highest possible fine under state law, the New Mexico Department of the Environment said in a statement. The criminal investigation, unrelated to this decision, is still ongoing.
Stefan Friedman, a spokesman for Rust Movie Productions, said in a statement that the producers intend to challenge the report. “While appreciating the time and effort of the Department of the Environment…we disagree with its findings and intend to appeal,” he wrote.
Halyna Hutchins’ family has filed suit against Alec Baldwin and the film’s producers, and other civil suits have been filed. Alec Baldwin said he was told his gun contained no live ammunition, that victim Halyna Hutchins told him to aim in his direction, and that he did not pull the trigger when of the fatal gunshot. “I have the feeling that someone is responsible for what happened, and I don’t know who it is. But it’s not me,” he said in last December.